Participatory Research Work Research Articles

How does participatory research work: protocol for a realist synthesis

IntroductionParticipatory research science deals with partnerships underlying research, governance and ownership of research products. It is concerned with relationships behind research objectives and methods. Participatory research has gained significant traction...

பாரம்பரியக் கூத்தில் பறையறைவோன் பாத்திரமும் அதன் மீளுருவாக்கமும்

The caste structure, which is deeply rooted in the culture of Tamil societies and its inequitable mentality, has a great influence on the traditional forms of performing arts carried on by Tamils.We often see caste inequality and gender discrimination reinforced in traditional chants that are mostly epic and mythologically centered. As a result, traditional performances have become increasingly predictable. The vast majority of artists who seek to speak of the progressive issues of the time are drawn to express their ideas not in the traditional arts but in the modern art form. In this context, the participatory research work on the koothu renaissance carried out at the Eelathu Kootharangu in the years 2002-2003 is proposed as a practical study to recreate the subject of traditional performing arts forms with the participation of the communities that follow them in a timely manner. In this way, this article examines the process by which the Valluvar community, which has been marginalized as a marginalized caste in Tamil culture, and the rhetorical character it represents, have recreated that character in a contemporary manner, questioning the structure of Eelam’s Vadamodik koothu.

COMBINING RANKS AND SCORES TO DETERMINE FARMERS' PREFERENCES FOR BEAN VARIETIES IN SOUTHERN MALAWI

Ranking and scoring exercises are common in participatory research work, for example in determining farmer preferences for crop varieties, tree species or other commodities. However, they rarely involve eliciting opinions of many individual farmers so as to establish the repeatability of study findings. This paper demonstrates ways in which ranking of evaluation criteria can be combined with evaluation scores to produce generalizable results concerning farmers' overall preference for a set of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) varieties. The use of weighted indices is explored. Results were found to be robust across all indices. However, farmer evaluations for yields did not correlate well with actual yields measured on their own plots. Farmers often gave high evaluation scores for yield performance of new bean varieties, even when they yielded quite poorly in plots in their own fields. Reasons for this are discussed.